Process of sterilizing and packaging rice.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WATERS SMITH DAVIS, JR., 0]? GALVESTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR T0 SEAIBOARDRICE MILLING (30., 0F GALVESTON, TEXAS.

PROCESS OF STERILIZING AND PACKAGING RICE.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WATERS SMITH DAVIS, Jr., a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Galveston, in the county of Galveston andState of Texas, have invented an Improved Process of Siterilizing andPackaging Rice, of which the following is a specification.

Sterilization of hulled or cleaned rice is practised with the view ofprotecting it from attack by the weevil or other insects and forimproving its keeping quality and also its edibility; but this processhas proven inefiective to a great degree owing to the cracking andbreaking of the rice, which result I have found to be chiefly due tocontact of cool air with the rice after heating and before inclosing andsealing it in the cartons or other form of package. I have discoveredand practised a process by which this undesirable result is avoided, therice being sterilized and packed under the eX- clusion of cool air,whereby cracking and breaking of the kernels are almost completelyprevented and a superior article of food is furnished to the consumer.

The rice is fed slowly into a heater, say a revolving drier, which iskept at a temperature of 138 F. to 140 F., it being constantly rolled ormoved about therein so that it cannot become overheated or burned. Therice is fed in slowly, since it has been found necessary that it shallbe warmed gradually to the required temperature. This operation iscontinued from twenty to thirty minutes, after which the heated and nowsterilized rice passes out of the drier at its delivery end anddischarges upon a shaker by whose operation imperfect kernals areremoved. From the shaker the se- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application filed April 23, 1913. Serial No. 763,167.

lected kernels drop into a covered bin, from which they go direct to thepacking machine through covered spouts and into the cartons where theyare sealed up while still hot.

The shaker, the bin, the packaging machine, and the cartons are coveredand pro tected, preferably by sheet metal hood or hoods, so that freshor cool air is prevented from access to the heated rice from the pointof its discharge from the drier to its delivery and sealing in thepackage, whereby cracking and breaking are effectually avoided.

I claim 1. The process of sterilizing and packaging rice, which consistsin gradually subjecting it to a sterilizing heat and maintaining themaximum degree of heat for twenty minutes or more; then delivering thesterilized and still hot rice to a shaker Whose operation removesimperfect kernels; then discharging the selected kernels into a receiverfrom which they are in turn delivered and conveyed into cartons or otherform of packages, and sealed therein while still hot, these severaloperations being effected under the exclusion of fresh or cool air, asdescribed.

2. The improved process of sterilizing and packaging rice, whichconsists in subjecting it to a heat suflicient to sterilize it, thenconveying the still hot rice to a receiver, and then delivering it intocartons or other form of package and immediately sealing the latter,fresh or cool air being prevented from access to the rice from thebeginning to the end of the described operation, as specified.

WATERS SMITH DAVIS, JR.

Witnesses:

CECIL CHAMBERS, WM. M. SELKIRK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

